Love on an Ocean Shore, Part 2
This is a shipfic by Misty. Do not steal! Typos may be edited. Sequel to Love on an Ocean Shore. Summary: It has been two years since Prince Seal’s near-death tragedy. Him and his beloved scavenger-turned-dragon have vanished from society to live on a distant, solitary island as a newlywed couple. Even as adults, they still wonder if dark, cold memories can ever be erased by bright, warm love. Chapter 1: A Price Not everything felt right. There was an iota of a doubt, a shadow of uncertainty within her. Deep, within her. She could not ignore a hiding fact, even if it was barely there at all. Almost like a puzzle missing the final piece, but it is a corner, a single corner that did not seem significant when it came to the whole picture. Only, without the corner piece, the picture wasn’t right. Inside a compact home, hastily built on a remote island, Misty contemplated these thoughts and feelings. She did not turn around when she heard the talonsteps of her kind partner, who approached her from behind, inquiring, “What’s wrong, Love?” Misty smiled up at her beloved sweetly, laying her wing on Seal’s back. She was cleaning up their little house, making sure everything was tidy, as always. “You know, I feel so short these days. You’re about a head taller than me,” she noted. ”Don’t dodge the question,” Seal said. He gently rubbed Misty’s arm. “It’s obvious something is bothering you. You’re putting things in the wrong places.” He gestured to the scrolls she was taking off of a shelf, which she held close to her chest. Misty glanced around their home. She realized that she had indeed been placing several items out of order. Frankly, it surprised her that she hadn’t been paying attention. “I suppose I am,” Misty admitted. Seal sat on his haunches and wrapped an arm around her torso. He pulled her close to him. “You know you can tell me what’s wrong, Mist.” Misty nodded, leaning into him and resting her head on his shoulder. There was no word in the entire existing vocabulary that could emphasize how much she loved Seal. With every waking dawn and and every passing night, Misty never took for granted the wonderful blessing that he was to her life. After a moment of hesitation, she confessed, “It’s just, well, don’t you think it’s a bit . . . lonely, here? I mean, I love it here on this island, but, I also miss dragons. You know? Sorry. . . .” ”Don’t apologize,” Seal insisted, laying his head lightly on hers. “I know. I feel the same way. But, with my magic”—he glanced at his talons—“and your real form, we shouldn’t be taking risks. Remember what happened at the orphanage, when somebody tried to take your ring off? Had she succeeded, not only would your identity have been compromised, but you would have drowned. I’m fairly sure I can keep my powers a secret, but your ring is very easy to slide off at any given moment. I only wish to keep you safe.” He planted a quick, small kiss on Misty’s head. “Plus, remember, my brother Crab could always end up visiting.” Misty gave a small, sad smile, silently glad that Seal could not see it. Even after all these years, she was still nearly as insecure as when she had been a scavenger. Although, after the misadventures she and her friends had had in the Claws of the Clouds, she felt a bit more confident in herself. Besides, she liked Crab, who was Seal’s only brother that knew where they lived. Compared to many of the others Misty had met long ago, he was the least likely to say something either offensive or stupid. ”Yes, I know that, Love,” Misty replied softly. “Of course I do. You know me, I get lonely even if I’m surrounded by others. But, you are the best company I could ever hope for.” She gazed up into his light, green, sweet eyes. Seal grinned, rubbing Misty’s arm once again. “Likewise.” The two just sat there for a peaceful moment, enjoying each other’s presence. Until finally, Misty reluctantly broke the silence by saying, “That’s not all that was bothering me, though . . .” She trailed off, not wanting to finish her sentence. Seal leaned a little ways away from her, so he could see her face better. With a confused expression, Seal asked, “What is it, then?” Suddenly, Misty felt rather nervous, and as a result, she began wringing her talons. “Well, I’ve been thinking . . . wouldn’t this place be a lot less lonely with . . . dragonets?” The question caused Seal to freeze, leaving his eyes blankly staring at the wall. This only made her more nervous. Misty went on, “I mean, we’ve talked about dragonets before, a long time ago, but, we’re a few years older now, and married. Even if it wasn’t official.” Seal snapped out of his fossilized state, looking down at her again. His face was hard to read, mixed with several different emotions at once. “Yeah,” he said, “it would be less lonely. I just didn’t think you’d be ready to have eggs yet.” She wrapped her wings around Seal. “Look how far we’ve come,” Misty observed with a smile. It almost seemed like he was still trying to process the information. Though, Misty didn’t know why it was taking him so long. “So . . . you really do want to have dragonets?” The female SeaWing nodded. “Yes. But I am concerned about a few things. First, your animus magic: is it genetic?” Seal’s face looked pained as he slowly said, “Yes. There’s still a chance they won’t get it though.” His face betrayed uncertainty in his statement. Misty sighed. “I was afraid of that. There’s nothing we can do about that factor. Secondly, I’m . . .” She paused look down. “I’m not sure I’d be a good mom.” Seal gently pressed his forehead against her’s. “Don’t say that. It’s like you said earlier: I know you. And I know ''you’ll make a good mom. Trust me.” She tried to hold back tears. It was easy with her eyes closed. “Thank you, Love. And you’ll be a great dad. I know it.” They released each other from their embrace. Misty failed to catch her laugh when she beheld Seal’s face. “You’re really cute when your face looks like a tomato.” She snickered. That made Seal blush even harder. He barked a laugh. “You too.” ”Hey!” She chuckled. “We’re both hopeless,” Misty joked. Seal leaned in, kissing her affectionately. Misty kissed back, glad to not have a care in the world for however many seconds. Chapter 2: Sweet Dreams That night, Seal had gone to bed thinking about what Misty had said earlier. They had been discussing the topic of dragonets all day. Unfortunately, he suspected that a terrible gore-filled nightmare awaited in his sleep. Similar to the ones that occurred almost every night, except different. And he had been correct. ''Seal was swimming in the ocean at night, fleeing from something. Or someone. He didn’t know for sure. The water was darker than usual, even for night time. Or was it day? Was the ocean just really, really murky? Why? How? There were no fish in sight, nor any other signs of aquatic life. The ocean seemed . . . dead. But what was he swimming away from? Although Seal did not fully know, he got the distinct feeling that whatever was chasing him was trying to kill him. There was no explanation, except that he felt it deep in his soul. Then, suddenly, Seal’s whole body froze, unable to move a muscle. Renewed terror coursed through his veins, but his body refused to even twitch. You really thought you could get away so easily? You cannot escape your shadow; you cannot suppress the evil within you, waiting to be released, echoed an eerie, ghostly voice inside Seal’s head. The unnatural sound seemed to resonate within the very fabric of the world, making him wish he were deaf. Dread filled his heart past the brim. This ''thing ''has been in his dreams before. It was his worst fear, his most dominant insecurity: his magic. I will take away everything, the voice continued, every word dripping with malice. ''I will destroy you and the one you love. There is nothing you can do. You are ''empty. ''You are ''helpless. ''You are ''nothing. Seal felt a strong sense of panic erupt in him. What could he do? He couldn’t move or think, even with his pulse racing near the speed of light. All of a sudden, there was an incredibly sharp stabbing pain in Seal’s chest. He tried to scream, but no sound would escape him. It might not have anyway, since they were underwater, but there should’ve at least been a muffled noise. Only silence. The terrible pain ensued, seeming to grow with every passing second. Until it was nearly unbearable. Then, Misty somehow appeared in front of him, out of nowhere. She was clearly confused, ignorant of where she was and how she got there. Seeing his beloved wife, Seal tried as hard as he could to warn her. Alas, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t get the message through in Aquatic. But, as Seal studied her, he noticed there was something different. Misty’s midsection was significantly larger than usual. She swam up to him, worry filling her foggy eyes. ''What’s wrong? ''Misty asked with her bioluminescent scales. It abruptly occurred to him what was strange about her. He received the information either from his memory or a mental message of some kind. This was an awful situation that just kept escalating. Misty was ''with egg. Why aren’t you moving? ''she asked with an anxious frown. Seal was so puzzled. Hadn’t she seen the demonic shadow of himself that froze him? Also, where had it gone? He noticed that the pain in his chest had ceased. His body still refused to budge, but he was relieved that the stabbing had ended. Only, as he continued to try to warn Misty, black fog began gathering behind her, growing by the second, slowly but surely forming an imitation of Seal himself. The horrible shadow had his same pale green eyes, body proportions, and size, only its form was darker than staring into an abyss. Once again, Seal panicked internally, begging his body to move. It proceeded to resist, no matter how scared he was. ''Move! ''he wanted to shout to Misty. ''Turn around! ''Nothing. Without warning, the sharp tip of a blade suddenly protruded from her chest, the metal blacker than night. Deep scarlet blood flowed from the wound, making the already-shrouded area even darker. The water smelled awful around them with the blood thickening the ocean water. Misty’s eyes grew wider than ever before, and her whole body began twitching violently. Her face took on an expression of pure sorrow as she stared down at the weapon sticking out of her, then up at her soulmate. The world collapsed beneath Seal’s talons, crumbling into bits and falling to the endless void. He might as well have been stabbed himself. He had fallen through the epitome of sadness, and he didn’t think he would ever climb out. Seal wanted to scream and cry at the same time, but he still couldn’t do anything. ''Anything. ''Not even as the blood of his wife seeped through his scales, swam up his nostrils, and stung his eyes. As the light left Misty’s gray eyes, she managed to flash in Aquatic: ''I will wait for you, my heart. ''Then, slowly blinking her eyes closed, talons reaching out towards Seal, she drifted downward, still bleeding from her chest. ”No!” Seal pleaded, waking up with what felt like agonizing slowness. He was panting, mind racing to destinations that should never be thought of. The former prince sat upright in their bed, which was mostly composed of palm fronds. He looked at Misty, who was lying to his left, still asleep. He needed to assure himself that she was alive, and was relieved to see her breathing, sides calmly rising and falling. Her back was turned to him; she preferred sleeping on her side. The aqua wings that belonged to her were splayed everywhere; he was resting on one somehow, and the other was drooping over Misty’s edge of the bed. Seal was not surprised that she hadn’t woken up at his exclamation. Seal’s heart pumped quickly from the nightmare. He tried to get it out of his mind, but the glowing, malevolent eyes in the black, evil shadow of himself—his true self, buried down deep—seemed to stay put. He shivered. That dream was his worst fear, something he hoped would never come true: losing his sanity and murdering his loved ones. It was a constant, omnipresent fear, that could not be brushed away by a few hugs and reassuring words. Especially when he knew, far below the surface of his being, that that very wickedness awaited within him, just hoping to be released and spill as much blood as dragonly possible. Seal really, really ''wanted to give Misty a hug, to erase the feeling that she was either dead or dying, but he didn’t wish to wake her. It was still night, in which he could tell from the small, empty window to his right, where beautiful yet haunting moonbeams struck the floor with a soft glow. Their bed was barely big enough to fit the both of them, though neither of them cared. The bedroom ceiling was a bit short, but it sufficed. The couple’s home was definitely shabby. Although, Seal had to admit to himself, he was rather resourceful and good at construction, thanks to some of his older brothers, who, really, should not be left alone so often. Seal relaxed his brain, lying back down (carefully, so he didn’t crush Misty’s left wing). He rested an arm over Misty’s shoulder, knowing that she was such a deep sleeper she wouldn’t wake up from the gentle contact. She moved a bit, but otherwise stayed in the same nighttime trance. He thought about what she had said in the dream: ''I will wait for you, my heart. Seal hoped she would never have to say that again. Chapter 3: Surprise A Few Weeks Later . . . ”Happy hatching day!” Seal woke up to, eyes opening in tired slits, blinking back sleep. His brain was fuzzy as he slowly sat up in bed. His green wings drooped around him, and he began stretching them in an attempt to wake up entirely. Bright morning rays of sunlight seeped through the window in front of Seal, giving the room a yellowish luminescence. The gray-blue SeaWing in front of Seal wore a glowing smile that was soaring with excitement. She seemed to be trying to hide it, but wasn’t doing an even remotely good job. ”Good morning,” Seal said with a yawn. “And thanks.” Misty hopped onto the bed, sitting down next to him. He could tell she was a little wet; she must have taken a quick dive before he woke up. “I brought you breakfast,” she said. “It’s in the other room.” Seal grinned at his mate gratefully. “Thanks Love.” He squinted his light green eyes at her suspiciously. “OK, you’re killing me, what are you hiding? You look like you’re ready to fly across Pyrrhia and back.” The smile on Misty’s face seemed stuck for eternity. With a special glint in her eye, she confessed, “Well, I do have a special surprise for your tenth hatching day.” ”Aha,” Seal said triumphantly. Another yawn escaped his mouth. He was balancing in between curiosity and confusion. “What is it?” Misty leaned closer to him, their snouts nearly touching. She announced, voice trying to contain excitement, “Seal . . . I’m with egg.” All previous feeling of sleepiness in Seal soared straight out of sight. His jaw dropped, and his eyes grew wider than the ocean itself. “Wh-what?” She nodded, the corners of her mouth still pulled back like a maddragon. “You heard me.” He was so filled with happiness that he tackled Misty in a tight hug. They both fell back onto the bed, Misty laughing. Seal had barely dared to hope they would ever get this far, especially when he had been determinedly waiting for her to return to the sea almost two years ago, after the accident. He had daydreamed sometimes when they were younger about raising dragonets and having a family with her, but hadn’t truly believed in it. “This is amazing!” he cried joyfully. She laughed again, then said, “I think so too. But I would prefer not to be crushed ''right now please?” ”Ha ha, OK.” Seal released her from the hug and sat back upright. Misty sat up with him. He looked down at Misty’s stomach—which right then appeared normal—grinning from ear to ear. “When did you find out?” ”A couple days ago,” Misty answered, almost proudly. “I’ve been ''dying ''to tell you, but I wanted to surprise you on your hatching day,” she said with a mischievous grin. ”You conniving sneak,” Seal joked, wrapping a wing around her. “That sounds like something you would do.” “I’ll take that as a compliment,” Misty said, leaning into Seal’s warm body. The few saltwater droplets that were still on her cooled his scales. She sighed contentedly. “Can you believe it? Soon we’ll be parents!” ”I can’t believe it,” he agreed, entirely truthful. “Best hatching day present ever, Mist.” Misty said in an amused voice, “In that case, you’re welcome.” Seal took her right talon in his left one. He suddenly felt a little worried. “How are you feeling? Are you OK? Do you need to lie down or—” She barked a laugh, interrupting him. “I’m fine right now, don’t freak out. I feel kind of funny, but nothing terrible.” ”Are you sure?” Seal fretted. “I could—” “Stop,” Misty insisted. “No worrying on your hatching day. I’m ''fine. ''A tiny bit dizzy, but ''fine.” He knew she wouldn’t tell him if she were hurting anyway, but he tried, “Just tell me if you start feeling worse, OK?” “You a doctor now?” Misty joked, but squeezed his talon. “OK, I will.” Seal relaxed more. His pale green eyes met her foggy gray ones. “You know what I’d like to do today?” he asked. Misty shook her head mutely. Seal noticed that she was using her wings to help balance herself on the bed. ”Are you up for a long swim?” He asked her uncertainly. Her eyes lit up. “Sure! A nice swim together is always fun.” ”But, um, you don’t seem like you’re ready to go swimming right now,” Seal observed, lending her his left wing to help her stay upright. She waved a dismissive talon. “Nah, this is nothing. It’ll go away in a second, just wait. It’s been like that for the past several days, so trust me.” Seal frowned. ”How come I haven’t noticed?” Misty chuckled softly. “Either because one of us was away from the house, or your nose was stuck in a scroll,” she said matter-of-factly. “Plus, I’m better at keeping secrets than you think. And, like I said, it only lasts like a second or two.” ”Oh.” He was inwardly chastising himself for being oblivious and not paying enough attention to his wife. “Well, we can wait until the dizziness wears off, then go?” he suggested. One of his wings unfurled and stretched outward to lay on Misty’s back comfortingly. She shook her head slowly. “We don’t have to wait; I can already feel it starting to fade away. Let’s go.” Before Seal could argue, she pushed herself off the bed and stood up, then headed towards the door. She glanced over her shoulder to see if he was following her. The ex-prince only shrugged to himself in a resigning way. “OK then.” He stood up and joined her by the doorway, letting her lead the way to the house entrance. The early morning sun shone brightly, hovering above the eastern horizon. Tropical wildlife thrived throughout the island, eventually ending at the ring of beach sand that was surrounding the piece of stranded land. Their house wasn’t in the center of the island, but it wasn’t too close to the nearest beach, either. Seal didn’t want to build next to the shore, just in case of the water coming too close. They were very careful. ”Beautiful day,” Misty noted, weaving her way through dense shrubbery and colorful wildflowers. “I’m glad we live here.” ”Agreed,” Seal said, leaning down to pick a gentle flower. “This one is the same color as your aqua scales.” He held it up so she could see it better. Misty studied the innocent flower. “Yeah, it is.” He handed it to her gingerly, at which she offered an open palm for him to place it. “Thanks,” Misty said, smiling as she tucked the flower in the crook between her right ear and right horn. She laughed. “This looks ridiculous, doesn’t it?” Seal shrugged. “No, not really. I think it’s cute.” ”You’re just saying that,” Misty argued with a light chortle. “C’mon, I hear the lapping waves, let’s go.” They came to the beach quickly, beholding the wondrous sight of the eternal shining ocean before them. White caps grew and sank throughout the blue, spotting the sea like stars in a night sky. Floating mist flowed gently through the air, like the breath of the living water. Seal looked at Misty, still concerned. “You feeling better?” With a clipped sigh, Misty replied, “Yes. I feel fine ''right now, Love. Don’t worry.” He nodded, satisfied with her answer. He brushed her wing with his, grinning. “I’m always worrying. Now, let’s take a dive.” Chapter 4: What’s in a Name Misty gasped as she awoke to a mighty sound like the earth roaring in righteous fury. Pounding rain slammed against the outside of the house, causing a terrible ruckus that only a rock could sleep through. Flashes of lightning lit up the bedroom temporarily, coming through two windows on opposite walls. Thunder boomed lividly beside its dangerous companion. She turned her head to look at Seal, who was already sitting upright, on the edge of their bed. His back was to her, but when he had heard Misty gasp, he had looked over his shoulder at her. “Really bad storm,” Seal noted, sounding exhausted. Sitting up in the bed, Misty nodded. “Figured that out.” The human-turned-dragon moved closer to her husband. She rested a talon on his shoulder. “How long have you been up?” Seal offered her a sweet smile, eyes distant and dreamy, with a subtle shrug. “I don’t know,” he said tiredly. “I lost track of time.” “Ah. Sorry.” Misty laid back down, just as another deafening thunderclap sounded. She frowned slightly, lying her talons over her stomach. Seal backed up onto the bed, lying next to Misty. Every several seconds, lightning sparks would outline the edge of his body, but she could see well with her night vision anyway. He must have sensed her discomfort, for he inquired, “Something wrong?” Misty didn’t look him in the eyes. Those wonderful, nervous eyes. “I’m fine. Just don’t think we’ll get much sleep tonight.” Another crash of thunder, promptly followed by its bright partner. Seal rolled a little more to his left side, so he was directly face-to-face with her. “Mist, I love you, but you’re not a good liar.” The sound of Misty’s sigh was lost to the downpour outside. “Just, nausea, and stomach cramps, that’s all.” She winced. ”I’ve heard that’s normal for someone in your condition,” Seal said reassuringly. Misty could stare into his light green eyes forever. She barked a laugh. “You make it sound like I’m sick or something,” she said, but thanked him with a smile. He spread out his right wing so that it laid on top of Misty. “Ha. I actually ''will ''be a doctor, at this rate. Is there anything you want me to do?” Misty snuggled under his warm wing gratefully. “Well, we could talk?” she suggested. “I mean, this storm aught to keep us up for a while anyway, right?” ”Yeah,” Seal agreed, stretching open his jaw in a yawn. Right then, thunder roared, and lightning flashed again through the windows, reflecting off of Seal’s silver hoop earring. It almost made Misty laugh, for it caused Seal to look like he had created the thunder sound when he yawned. “What do you wanna talk about?” Misty closed her eyes for a moment, frowning deeply, then slowly opened the two foggy orbs. “I’m not sure. What about names? It’s been days since I told you about the egg and we still haven’t discussed names.” Seal nodded subtly, smiling. The smile was full of something entirely new to his face. “That’s a good idea,” he said, but the thunder attempted to interrupt him. ”What about Reef, if it’s a boy?” “That’s a nice idea,” Misty said honestly. She rubbed her lower back. “Any others?” ”I also thought about Reflection?” Seal offered. He gently stroked her cheek with the back of his claws lovingly. The motion was so wonderful to Misty’s heart. She leaned her head into his rubbing talon affectionately. “I like that one too,” Misty said with a grin. “Our son Reflection.” “Son?” Seal inquired curiously. “You think it’s going to be a boy?” She laughed softly, touching her belly. “Yep. I just feel like it’s gonna be a boy. Trust me on this one.” Seal shrugged with an amused expression. Thunder blasted and lightning flashed fiercely. He chuckled. ”Interesting.” “Yeah, yeah, say what you will,” Misty said. The chilling wind from outside managed to seep somewhat through slim cracks in the wooden walls, making the compact bedroom cold. A shiver ran through her body. She guessed Seal felt it, because he stretched his wing out further so that it covered most of her. She gave him a warm smile. “Thanks, my heart.” A lightning bolt found its mark somewhere outside, lighting up Seal’s suddenly grim face. His eyes averted to her wing for a moment. Misty didn’t know why his mood had abruptly changed. Had she said something? Another wave of nausea coursed through her. She waited for it to wear off, then asked, “What’s wrong, Seal?” Her husband appeared to be hiding something, which frankly surprised Misty greatly. He wasn’t the type to keep secrets unless absolutely necessary. And yet, Seal remained silent for a minute. Whatever he was holding back, he didn’t want to share. Finally, he answered, “It’s just a silly thing.” ”Seal,” Misty said softly, lifting her head closer to his. “You can tell me.” With apparent reluctance, Seal relented with an odd question: “Um, th-this is gonna sound random, but, have you called me ‘your heart’ before? I can’t remember.” Misty frowned slightly in confusion. The question ''was ''random. She thought for a second. “I believe so? Not sure. But, why?” Seal’s expression looked strangely pained all of a sudden. He admitted, “Well, for a while now, I’ve been having this same nightmare, over and over again. It’s worse than most of the other ones I’ve told you about before. I’ve been having this dream since before my hatching day.” Now that he began confessing, he couldn’t stop. “It’s awful, Mist. You keep getting killed.” Misty had a concerned, sympathetic gaze. He had informed her of past similar dreams, filled with horror and blood and unending tears. They had started directly after his terrible accident, constantly haunting him. At least, they used to. Seal hadn’t told her he was still having them. ”Sorry,” Misty apologized gently. “But, it’ll go away, eventually. It cant be that bad since it’s fake, right? I’m right here, Seal. Not dead.” He shook his head, on the verge of scowling. “You don’t understand . . .” ”Then help me understan—” “No, you can’t!” Seal snapped angrily, voice rising dangerously. His face was abruptly tainted with shock and fear, eyes widening. He retreated a bit from her, seeming wary. Misty was utterly dumbfounded, totally appalled by his rash, uncharacteristic behavior. She laid there, stunned, for several heartbeats. What was troubling him so that would cause him to react this way? She thought hard to try to cover up her wounded feelings. Her left talon automatically reached out for him slowly. “Sweetheart . . .” Seal swiveled his head and buried his snout in his pillow. In a muffled, tortured voice (more muffled so by the monsoon than the pillow), he said, “You should stay away from me. My power . . . it makes me a monster. I couldn’t live with myself if I hurt you.” At a loss for words, Misty paused, talon hovering but not yet touching him. His magic had always been his worst fear, and she usually tried to relieve him of that fear whenever she could. It was obvious to her that he worried and fretted about it too often, though. Somewhere, deep down, Misty knew it was as part of his existence as the fish were in the ocean, or the clouds were in the sky, and there was nothing she could do about it in the end. Hope would always permeate that knowledge, but when it came to that phobia, Seal would only feel the world was safe from him when he passed away. Misty tried not to dwell on that heartbreaking thought. ”Seal, listen to me carefully,” she ordered with a gentle voice. Her talon finally fell to rest on his arm. “You are entirely the ''farthest ''thing in this world from a monster. You are kind, loving, amazing, a bit clueless sometimes, and I love you ''so ''much. You can go squirt water from your nose if you ever call yourself a monster again. Do you hear me?” He lifted his head from the pillow, facing his wife. A distant, faint smile creased his mouth. “I don’t know, the thunder’s pretty loud. You might need to repeat that.” Misty lightly shoved his wing with her’s, grinning. If he was joking, he must have been feeling better. “Ha ha. So, what’s in the dream? Do you. . . .” She drifted off, guessing the truth. Inhaling deeply, Seal admitted, “My evil side kills you. Or, I suppose, myself, in a way. And I’m always frozen solid, never able to move or even blink. It’s terrible. And you’re with egg every time.” Misty’s talons subconsciously went to her stomach protectively. “You’ve been having this dream since before I told you?” She double-checked. He nodded solemnly. “I don’t know ''why. ''Well, I suppose I do know why, but still, it doesn’t help. Mist, I didn’t tell you this before, but . . . During the ''accident, ''I-I used . . . I used my magic again.” His eyes were pleading for forgiveness as they met her’s. Misty’s jaw dropped an inch. “But— you promised— you said you wouldn’t use magic—” ”It was while you were leaving,” Seal confessed, and Misty thought she saw a glimpse of hidden tears in his eyes. “I was dying, and I was in ''so much pain . . . ''That alone made me want to die. I could barely think, but I was so desperate for an escape, I somehow, miraculously, managed to only stop the pain. I was still dying, but I didn’t feel it as much. When I opened my eyes and discovered that all the water around me was filled with blood, I panicked. I had no idea where you were, because apparently, you had ''left.” Although he had finished his sentence, it was evident that he had restrained himself from saying ‘left me’. ”So, if you hadn’t cast that spell, you might have . . . Let’s not talk about this, Love. OK, so you used another spell, add that to the list, that doesn’t mean you’re going to lose your soul. But what does this have to do with me calling you ‘my heart’?” The storm had really begun to get on her nerves, seeming to interrupt everything they said. He answered, “Because in the dream, every time you die, you say: I will wait for you, my heart.” A long silence of speech followed between them, while several booming crashes of lightning struck. Finding her voice, she said, “Oh. Well, I don’t have to call you that, if you don’t want me too.” Seal silently grabbed her talon, then squeezed it. “No, it’s fine.” He assured her with the smallest grin. “I like it.” Misty let a little laugh escape her mouth. “OK, my heart.” She wrapped her arms around his neck, and they laid there, staring at each others’ loving faces, for what felt like a beautiful forever. Time stopped, lightning struck, and eyes bore into each other, seeing through to their very souls. Neither of them moved, neither of them wanted to move. Would it have been too much to ask for that moment to last forever? The moment faltered when Misty winced. Seal lifted his talon to trace the base of her skull down to her shoulder, then back again. His gaze was filled with affection, smiling sweetly, but eyes drooping from exhaustion. “What about more names? Like if it’s a girl?” he asked quietly. She nodded, leaving her arms clasped around his neck. “Yeah. I might have an idea, but I’m not sure you’d like it.” ”Why?” Misty shrugged. “Maybe because you’ve never been the biggest fan of mythological beings?” It was obvious that Seal would have rolled his eyes, if he hadn’t felt bad for her. She felt his tail rest over her’s lightly. “I’ll hear you out.” “It sounds cute, honey.” Misty finally tore her gaze away from her soulmate to glance at her midsection with an untameable grin. When she looked back up at him, she said, “Selkie?” He yawned, then appeared confused. “That does sound cute. But do I want to know what a selkie is?” ”Oh please.” She twined her tail around his. “Will you at least consider it, Love?” With a small sigh, he surrendered. “OK, OK. But mostly because you don’t feel good.” ”Awww, my sweetie softie bboooyyyy,” Misty teased. Seal shook his head, smiling despite himself. “Shut up,” he joked, and kissed her lovingly. His right talon went to the back of Misty’s head, holding it there. Eventually, sometime, they managed to fall asleep, in spite of the roaring hurricane outside. Until then, they talked about names and plans, both dreaming of the future, while at the same time wanting to stay in the present next to each other for eternity. Chapter 5: Your Smile Eleven Months Later . . . The warm sand felt comforting underneath and in between Seal’s talons. The midday sun smiled upon the three dragons that were sitting on the beach. Gentle ocean waves greeted the pale sand several feet in front of them. Their visitor, Crab — Seal’s brother — sat beside Seal and Misty, smiling happily as they conversed eagerly. ”. . . and then Shell barged into the meeting out of nowhere and asked her, ‘Will you go out with me?’ in front of everyone!” Crab was saying. Seal and Misty both burst out laughing. Crab joined in the merriment of his own tale. “Oh geez,” Seal said, “it sounds like our bro Shell hasn’t changed a bit since I last saw him.” He chuckled. Crab shared Seal’s sentiment. “Yep, he’ll always be the same old crazy dragon we know and love.” He rolled his eyes. ”I don’t even remember the last time I saw him,” Misty commented with amusement. “From what you two tell, he’s quite the character.” ”Pfft, understatement,” Crab and Seal said in unison. Shell was the only other dragon from Seal’s hatching. Technically, Shell was his closest brother; they looked scarily similar appearance-wise, but acted almost completely different. Shell was often bringing up/doing awkward things, chatting up every dragon he swam into, and being totally oblivious to other dragon’s emotions. And he was constantly ''getting into trouble. If Seal had to say, he’d say Crab was his closest brother, even though Crab was two years older than him. Seal was about to ask his brother something when Misty spoke up. “Hey guys, I’m gonna go lay down for a second. You two talk about whatever it is brothers talk about, I shouldn’t be long.” With that, she stood up and began the short walk back to the house. Seal stopped her by blocking her path with his wing. He gave her a concerned look. “You alright, Love?” Misty smiled, but distantly, answering, “Yeah, I’m fine. No worries. Be back in a bit.” She brushed past his extended wing and continued on her way without glancing back. Seal let his wing fall to the sand, and stared after her as she left. He brought his gaze back to Crab anxiously. Crab shrugged and said, “You shouldn’t worry about her right now. She’ll be fine, Seal.” ''But he doesn’t know, ''he thought. With a distracted nod, Seal looked out over the ocean. Inwardly, he was concerned about his wife, even though she said she was fine. Seal nodded silently, then said, “Yeah, you’re right. Sorry, I—“ Crab chortled. “I know, you’re ''you, ''after all. You wouldn't be our Seal if you didn’t worry so much.” He grinned at his brother to show him he was teasing. “Plus, ever since you and Misty have been together, you’ve been twice as anxious.” Seal nudged Crab’s wing with his own. “Actually, that’s not the case anymore. I’ve really been a lot more calm ever since—” He cut himself off, inwardly horrified. He had almost mentioned ''that ''night. The night of the accident. Of his horrible pain. Of his thoughtless torture. He withheld a shiver. “Well, ever since I’ve been with her, I guess.” One of Crab’s eyebrows quirked. He grinned. “You know, it’s funny, I never thought you’d be married before many of our eldest brothers.” He pushed Seal jokingly with his wing. Seal laughed. “Trust me, I was even more doubtful than you. But, that reminds me—” His sentence halted abruptly when there was a sudden pleading shriek that sounded as if it came from right outside the house: “''Seal!” The brothers were immediately on their feet, wide-eyed and startled. Reinforced worry seized Seal’s heart. Misty rarely screamed; she didn’t scream unless she was terrified (or being tickled; Misty was very ''ticklish). Most of the time, anyhow. “I’m coming!” Seal called back fearfully. “Do you want me to go with you?” Crab asked him hurriedly before Seal could take off. Seal normally would have automatically answered ''yes, ''but he had a feeling he might know what it was she needed him for. He hastily shook his head. “Not now. Stay here, please. If I need you, I’ll call, OK?” Crab was reluctant, but he nodded and sat back down. His body remained tense, though, ready for action. “OK. I’ll stay here. Hurry, go.” He prodded Seal with his tail. Seal wasted no time leaping into the air. In mere seconds, with his adrenaline-speed, he was outside the house, searching for his mate. “Misty?” He called loudly. “Misty?” ”Over here!” came Misty’s reply, and Seal doubled back through some trees to follow it. He found her leaning against a shaded tree, beginning to pant. Her legs were shaking just barely enough to notice. She looked up at him, relief filling her foggy eyes. “Th-Thank goodness,” she said. Seal stepped up to her and aligned his body parallel to her’s, so she could lean on him instead of the tree trunk. He grasped her talon in his. “Mist? Wh-What’s wrong? You s-scared me.” Misty gave up leaning on him and lowered herself to the ground, almost falling in the process. She gave him an intense look he’d never seen on her before. “You . . . goofball. The eggs . . . are coming.” She took long breaths in between sentences. Seal was suddenly very nervous. He thought, ''Aha. So I was ri— Wait, what? ''Comprehension struck Seal a bit late, cutting off his train of thought. “Did you j-just say ''eggs?” He asked Misty, taken aback. Instead of answering, Misty returned it with another question: “Crab isn’t . . . coming, is he?” Seal tried not to be annoyed that she was ignoring his very important question. “No, I t-told him to wait on the beach. I had a hunch this was what you c-called me for. But Mist, did you s-say eggs?” He repeated his inquiry. She replied with a small smile, “Maybe.” His mind went into overdrive. Oh moons, she’s having multiple eggs. And she didn’t tell me. Of course she didn’t, what did I expect? I am not prepared for this! I‘M GOING TO LOSE MY MI— “Stay . . . here, please,” Misty said, tightening her grip on his talon. She looked him in the eyes, pleading and apologetic. Seal planted himself directly next to her, slowly beginning to lose feeling in his talon. Although he was now more worried for the future than before, he said said loyally, “I w-won’t leave y-your side.” . . . True to his word, he didn’t. In Seal’s gentle grasp was an aqua egg, shining in the cropped-by-trees sunlight. He was grinning wider than an idiot, gazing back and forth at the egg in his talons and the green-gray one that Misty was cradling. “You did awesome, Mist.” “Why thank you,” she replied, sounding exhausted. She gave him an amused look. “You didn’t do so bad yourself, Mr. Panic Attack.” Seal chuckled and rolled his eyes. “I wasn’t that ''panicked,” he muttered. ”Ha ha!” Misty laughed. “In the midst of the excitement, I seem to distantly recall some random dragon trying to hold down his breakfast.” Seal made an odd snorting sound that he wasn’t quite sure meant. He waved a talon airily. “Please, that was, um, a totally different dragon.” Misty nodded with exaggerated solemnity. “Oh, yes, I’m sure it was.” He would have rolled his eyes again, except for the fact that he was so ecstatic right then he could explode. The green SeaWing went over to lay down directly beside his soulmate, wrapping a wing around her tenderly. He brought the egg he was holding next to its sibling that Misty had. “I think I'm going to pass out from joy,” Seal said into her ear before lightly kissing the top of her head. Misty looked at him with an expression he could not even begin to describe. She was just a bundle of pure sunshine right now. It made him desire to hold her in his arms and gaze at that expression until the end of time. She rubbed her head against his lovingly, saying, “Me too, my heart. Me too.” A laugh escaped her suddenly. “I don’t know how we’re going to react when they hatch.” Seal returned her laugh quietly. “I might ''actually pass out from joy.” As he said that, he thought that that was probably true. ”Oh!” Misty exclaimed, lifting her head up. “I forgot about Crab! How long has he been waiting? I wonder if he’s worried. I’ll go get him.” As she stood to go recover their missing family member, her back legs started wobbling just the tiniest bit. “Oh no you don’t,” Seal said, grabbing her arm and bringing her back to the ground gently. Her tail flicked his, and she gave him the most miniature of glares, but other than that did not protest. “You need to lay here for a little while. At least for a minute or two. Please?” Misty nodded reluctantly, but after gathering their eggs in her talons and pulling them close to her chest, all traces of annoyance vanished, galaxies away. . . . "Seal!" Crab called from the beach as soon as he spotted his younger brother flying towards him. "What happened? You guys have been gone for a while!" As Crab looked on, impatiently waiting for Seal to say something as he landed on the sand, he realized that Seal's expression was not one of fright, distress, or sadness. Instead, it was quite the contrary. The green dragon appeared happier than Crab had seen him in many, many years. Actually, scratch that; Crab had never ''seen his little brother so happy. Relief immediately swept through him. “What happened?” He repeated his question, this time with anticipation. Seal ran up to Crab, grinning madly, and grabbed him by the shoulders. “Come and see,” Seal said, vaguely and eagerly. The two siblings immediately took off, Crab not bothering to interrogate Seal if he was not willing to give information just yet. Crab had a moment to create theories in his head of what had happened or what was going on. He had to admit to himself, though, that none of them were very realistic theories. ''I guess I’ll just have to wait and see. Seal led him to the ground after a minute, touching down with a new pep in his step. Crab was definitely ''dying to know what it was now. His brother was never giddy. But once Crab rounded a tree and met with a totally new sight, he knew why Seal was so happy. “No way!” Crab exclaimed jubilantly, rushing over to Misty, who was lying tiredly on the grass. With, noticeably, two little eggs mostly sheltered by her arms and chest. He glanced at each SeaWing back and forth, a huge grin on his round snout. His large eyes landed on Misty’s. “You were ''expecting? ''And neither of you told me? ''Seriously?!” Seal moved over to stand next to Misty, his wing lying over her back protectively. “Are you mad?” he asked Crab (before Misty could say something snappish). The couple was surprised when Crab started laughing, as well as when he walked up to his brother to give him a huge bear hug. “Are you kidding? I mean, sure, I wish you would've told me earlier, but this is awesome! ''I’m so happy for you!” When Seal was certain that his older brother wasn’t going to scold him—or squash his lungs—he hugged back. “Thanks, Crab,” he replied. “That means a lot.” “Aaawwww,” Misty teased them lightly. “That is so cute.” “Ugh,” both Seal and Crab muttered in unison. They grinned and let go of each other. Prince Crab bent down in front of Misty, studying the green-and-blue colored eggs. He didn’t peer too close, though, for he wished not to make her uncomfortable with his closeness to her unhatched dragonets. “Wow. I can’t believe I’m gonna be an uncle soon! I’m going to be their favorite uncle,” he declared, looking confident with his statement. Misty smiled with a hint of amusement. “I know you will be. Just don’t do anything dangerous with them to gain that title, OK?” ”Ha. I got it, don’t worry,” Crab assured her with a nod. She inclined her head briefly in approval. Then she paused. “So, you didn’t suspect I was with egg at all?” she asked curiously. Crab rubbed the back of his neck. “Well, no, but I thought you looked a little. . . .” He didn’t finish his sentence, trying to find the right words without making her mad. He noticed her narrowing eyes and just said, “. . . Round? Uh, curvy? ''Oh three moons.” He facetaloned in embarrassment. Misty burst into wild, loud giggles. Crab removed his talon from his eyes, mildly surprised. He glanced at Seal, who only shrugged. “Oh gosh,” she said in between laughs. “That’s honestly hilarious. You’re too polite for your own good. Did you think I was just eating too much or something?” That caused her to laugh even harder. Her laughter was contagious, and Crab smiled. “Maybe?” he admitted sheepishly. “I’ll tell you what,” Misty said, catching her breath. “I feel moons ''lighter without these two little watermelons.” She hugged her eggs closer. It was the guys’ turn to laugh. “Logic at its finest,” Seal joked. Misty sighed, full of content. “I love you,” she told Seal, smiling up at him dreamily. . . . Something struck him like a lightning bolt. A strong sense of déjà vu overcame Seal for a fracture of a second. It was the image directly before his eyes now: Misty smiling up at him, with that wonderful gleam of love for him in her eyes, overpowering every bodily function but his vision, so that he could stay locked with those eyes as long as possible. That very look, that exact expression, it brought back memories of them when they were younger, right before the accident. It was also the same smile that had haunted his mind as he was on death’s door that horrible night. It had kept him going when he hadn’t had the strength to lift his eyelids. Streams of blood flowing out of him, excruciating pain zapping through him, but that was all he could see in his world. Her smile. That image had practically saved Seal. Except this time, he wasn’t dying. This time, he had an exciting, family-filled life ahead of him, and he couldn’t wait to live it to the fullest. Seal nuzzled Misty’s face with his snout gently. “I love you too. Did I ever tell you you have an amazing smile?” Chapter 6: Child of Mine ''One Year Later . . . An avid caretaker. An unyielding watcher. A being with an uncanny sense of responsibility and love. That was what Misty had become during the time of her awaiting eggs. "Isn't this crazy?" Misty asked Seal, doing laps around the interior of their house. In one corner near the couple's bedroom doorway, a padded nest rested with two eggs inside. "Any day now, they'll hatch!" "I know," Seal replied excitedly. He was sitting against one wall, scanning over a scroll he had probably read a hundred times. "But you are going to lose it if you continue to pace in circles all day like a caged animal. Why don't you go for a walk? Let some energy out?" Misty halted her routine to shoot him a look of uncertainty. "But, what about—" "I'll stay here," he said reassuringly. "I'll watch the eggs. No worries." The green SeaWing stuck his snout back into his scroll, frowning thoughtfully at the words. Although she couldn't help remaining anxious, Misty reluctantly took her mate's advice and left the house to go on a stroll. As soon as she stepped foot outside, the sun's piercing gaze stung her foggy eyes. She had always been sensitive to light when it came to her vision, but eventually the stinging sensation faded away. The thick vegetation surrounding their home grew with vibrant flowers wildly. Tropical plants and trees of all sorts fought for space, wherever they could find it. Hardly any animals roamed on the island, though that wasn't really a surprise. Misty didn't like the idea of being too far from the house, so she tried to stay around the inside of the island. She kept her wings close to her body as she walked, to make it easier to navigate the trees. She had to admit, being alone outside was a semi-effective way to get her mind off things. The SeaWing came into a small clearing, where a tiny pond resided next to a rather tall coconut tree. She thought it was a little bit odd to find a solitary one so far from the groves by the beaches. With a shrug, Misty sat down in front of the pond, staring down at her reflection. Then she glanced up at the cloudless sky. Why did I come here? ''she asked herself absent-mindedly. Her ears perked when she remembered. When they'd first arrived on the island, this had been her and Seal's second-favorite place to hang out and relax (the first being the beach). It was a pretty little site, and very peaceful; a good break from working on their humble home. Misty found herself slipping into tranquillity. And that's when Seal decided to scream out her name. Misty jumped when she heard the piercing call. She felt worry, confusion, and adrenaline course through her body as she turned around and leaped into the sky, wings propelling her faster. A thousand different scenarios were playing over and over in her head, growing more intense the longer it took her to get home — which was only roughly twenty seconds. She landed outside the house without grace and without care, immediately dashing to the door, where Seal stood. His face was splashed with too many emotions to count. "Hurry!" Seal insisted, running back inside without waiting for a response. Misty following close in suit, not bothering to close the door behind her. "Say something, Seal!" she demanded. Seal didn't explain — to her frustration — as he led her to the nest that their eggs laid in. He only pointed frantically at the oval objects, unable to speak. She averted her eyes from the hasty dragon in front of her to their unhatched dragonets. The eggs seemed to be their normal, still selves. Misty looked up at Seal, her eyebrow raised. He frowned. "I just saw—" Seal was interrupted by a sharp cracking sound. Both dragons jerked their heads downward with wide eyes. Thin lines began spreading over one of the eggs, becoming more numerous by the second. More snapping and cracking noises emanated from it. Misty sat down on her haunches, covering her mouth with her talons. She was overflowing with so much happiness she thought her heart would explode. "Oh my gosh! Seal!" Misty glanced up at him. He appeared just as elated as she was. As she looked back at it, a part of the shell broke off, quickly followed by many others. Until, finally, the whole eggshell splintered into dozens of pieces, revealing a tiny dragonet among the shattered remains. The baby dragonet was so miniature, it could have fit in the palms of Misty's combined talons. Bright, teal scales shone over its entire body, adorned with gray freckles on its snout and talons. Foggy gray-blue eyes stared up at Misty, burrowing into her soul and making a permanent home there. She could not describe the immense love and joy she felt upon seeing the adorable baby dragon in front of her. To her, everything about this dragonet was perfect. She possessed the nagging impulse to shield her precious hatchling inside the safety of her wings forever. Instead, she settled for gingerly picking up her dragonet — who reacted with a surprised squeak — and cradling him in her arms, facing Seal. She smiled up at her husband wholeheartedly. "Aaww! We have a son!" Misty said with a laugh. Seal returned her laugh, but distractedly. He smiled down at his new son with glowing affection. "You have your mother's eyes," he said to the baby. Misty nodded in agreement, beaming. "He looks so handsome . . . just like his father," she said, flashing Seal a sly grin. Seal was too flustered and embarrassed to reply. He studied his son wonderingly. Suddenly, the second egg began shaking, drawing the couple's attention. The shell shattered after three seconds, revealing an even tinier, female dragonet. She had green scales that mingled with gray on certain sections of her body. Her big eyes were a gleaming emerald green, scanning everything in sight. "Aaawww!" Misty repeated, watching Seal pick her up gently. "She's even smaller than ''him." Seal made an odd choking noise. "I can't b-believe how adorable ''she is," he murmured, stroking her face softly. Their daughter made a sound suspiciously close to a giggle as he did so. "Ah. She's ticklish, like you." Seal chuckled. Misty wrapped a wing around his back, tugging him closer. Her baby boy started making strange, cute squeaking sounds. He stretched his short, plump limbs upward, trying to reach his mother's face. Unsuccessfully, of course. It was too much for her to bear. Misty tickled his soft belly, making the hatchling snort and smile uncontrollably. She didn't think newly-hatched dragonets could smile, but that's definitely what he was doing. "Hello sweetie," Misty spoke to him softly. "I'm your mommy." Seal leaned closer to his son, holding up their girl next to her brother. He let their daughter play with his snout, which must have been his tipping point; a silent tear leaked from one of his eyes. It was quickly wiped away, however. With her still pawing at his snout, he said, "And I'm your daddy." "Awwaaa?" The male hatchling inquired curiously. He flicked his tail back and forth vigorously, slapping Misty's arms. "Daaaaaggoobah?" Seal chuckled warmly. "No, I'm ''Daddy, not Daaggoobah." "Daddoobah!" he cried triumphantly in his excessively-squeaky voice. He began flashing his bioluminescent scales at random, creating a hilarious light show, if you translated what the boy was saying in Aquatic. Misty giggled. She glanced up at Seal questioningly. "What should we name them?" Epilogue: Four Months Later . . . "That's pwetty, Mommy," commented little Selkie, playing with some flowers and trying to stick them all over herself. The gentle breeze was battling her, and it kept winning, blowing the petals away. "Thank you so much, sweetie," Misty replied kindly, adjusting the flower wreath resting atop her head, about which she had just asked her daughter. "You know, I made one for you, too." Selkie's head shot up. "Weally? Does it have pwuple flowers?" Misty laughed. "Yes, it has purple flowers. Of course it does"—She leaned down to tickle Selkie, who giggled helplessly—"I know those are my baby's favorite." "Yes!" Selkie exclaimed happily. The two were standing in the clearing Misty had wandered into before her eggs had hatched. The soft wind smelled of saltwater, and created a subtle song with the creatures and swaying trees. It was a gorgeous day, the sun, beaming down on the island, with a cloud or two spotting the pale-blue sky. "Come on, I'll show you," Misty said, leading the way back to the house. She made sure Selkie was following her, and found the young dragonet staying sheltered under her hovering wing. After a moment, the little one asked, "Mommy, what a you and Daddy doing again?" Selkie's mother smiled dreamily. She glanced down at the dragonet, who wasn't even a quarter of her size. "Daddy and I are redoing our wedding. That's why Uncle Crab is visiting, sweetie. He's going to make it, say, more official." "Ooohhhh," Selkie said in her raspy voice. "I thought he was just here to tell us stowies." Misty was startled into laughter. She couldn't stop smiling. "Nope. But, you're not too far off." Seal and Misty's original wedding had just been them two; they'd had no one to marry them. They had still counted it anyway. The couple wanted a do-over, and they had asked Seal's brother, Crab, to marry them. Thankfully, he had excepted eagerly. When they got to the house, Misty opened the door and let her tiny daughter bounce through first. She shut the door behind her, and walked over to a table in the side of the main room. "Where is Daddy and Wef and Uncle Cwab?" Selkie asked, scanning the room for anyone on her list. "They're on the beach still, I think," Misty answered, giving Selkie a flower wreath she had picked up from the table. She set it on top of the dragonet's head, trying to secure it around her horns. Misty stepped back to admire her work. "You look beautiful, Selk." Her daughter beamed. She fingered the violet flowers atop her skull. "Tanks Mommy. Can we go now can we go now?" "Yes, we can go now," Misty said with a chuckle. She ushered Selkie out the house with a wing. "Remember what you're supposed to do?" The SeaWing dragonet flapped her fragile wings excitedly. "Yeah! I follow you to da special place, stand next to you, and we have a seashell fight!" she exclaimed. "Hey silly, there's no seashell fight!" Misty corrected, laughing. "Why not?" Selkie asked, innocently and curiously. "Because—OK, how about sometime after the wedding, we can have a seashell fight. Alright little princess?" "YAY!" Selkie shouted gladly, jumping up and down. "Let's go see them on the beach," Misty suggested. The pair headed for the nearby beach, anticipation (for different things) fluttering in their chests. The palm trees welcomed them alongside the breeze, and a fine layer of mist blew through. Voices were lifted onto the wind, escalating as they got closer. ". . . oh you did not, Crab. Stop m-making things up." "It did ''happen, Seal. They ganged up against me!" "Wow, weally?" "''No, ''Ref. Sharks and dolphins do not ''gang up against dragons." "I was two! I had swum into their territory—" "Dolphins and sharks do not coexist, brother." "Were you there? No. Ref, your father does not believe in crazy occurrences." "This is stupid. Can we just finish setting this up?" Misty giggled under her breath. She and Selkie had paused to stand behind a clump of trees, listening to the guy's conversation. Tiny Selkie just seemed confused. "Can we go out now?" she whispered. "Yeah," Misty said in a hushed tone. She wrapped her right wing over her beloved daughter, pulled her in close to Misty's torso, and stepped out into the setting sun. . . . The stunning beauty of the sea at sunset never ceased to astonish Seal. The shining water was alight with fire, blazing gloriously across the horizon. It was blinding to stare directly at the ocean, as it burned and blessed your eyes intensely. But, once you beheld its magnificence, your gaze seemed to linger, always the border of its glow in your peripheral vision. That time, that place, it was perfect. The ocean shore, with its warm sand and descending sun, just like the place Seal and Misty had always vanished to years ago. It was a spectacular piece of the planet, and no one could take it away from them. The shore of the sea was theirs forever, as long as they lived together. The flaming waters merely reflected Seal's wondrous feelings. If he had to use one word to describe how he felt, he would simply choose happy. ''He was just so ''happy; happy that he had an amazing (and crazy) family (with dragonets that constantly made him laugh), that his closest brother had agreed to marry him and Misty, that he had not yet lost his soul. The joy Seal felt every time he looked at Reflection or Selkie, realizing he had kids, was enough to overflow his heart. Seal, Crab, and Reflection were setting up where the ceremony would take place. They were forming two lines in the sand with shells and flowers, leading up to where Crab would be positioned by the waves. It was no fancy set up, but nobody cared in the least. Personally, Seal was very glad to see his brother again. He hardly visited, since they wanted to remain a secret, but hanging out with Crab brought back fun memories. And it was nice to have company on a remote island. The brothers had been chatting all day, and still were while they organized the site. Since there wasn't much to do, they had more time to talk. "So, are you and Carapace a thing yet?" Seal asked him. Crab glanced away, embarrassed, smiling bashfully. "Yeah. I didn't know if you remembered her or not. We've been dating for a while now." "Ooooo," Seal teased. He bumped Crab's wing with his. "Kidding. I'm happy for you, brother. How long have you had a crush on her? Six years?" "Seven," Crab instantly corrected. "I don't like not telling her about this wedding, but she's not very good at keeping secrets. So, how have you and the family been?" Seal smiled at the word 'family'. "Great. Mist and I can't wait to teach the little ones how to read. Though, being honest, I don't think they'll want to read; they have too much--" A tiny force attacked Seal's back, startling him. The ex-prince raised his head to look over his shoulder, already suspecting who it was. "HA-HA!" Reflection crowed triumphantly, bouncing on Seal's spine. His aqua head bopped up and down, and his fragile wings flapped wildly, full of uncontainable energy. "I has beat you!" Seal chuckled, grinning mirthfully. "Oh, really?” he challenged. He lifted his wings, stood taller on his forelegs, and lowered his hind legs, causing Reflection to roll off of him. Seal turned around to face his son, meeting Ref's falsely-aggressive gaze with his own. "I dare ''you to take me down." Reflection shot him one of his deepest growls, which sounded as though it could relate to a cat purring loudly. "You'll be sowwy!" The dragonet exclaimed confidently. Ref pounced on Seal's arm, clinging to it like a monkey on a tree branch. "Oh no!" Seal cried, pretending to fall over. Sand sputtered around him as he hit the ground. "You've got me! I need reinforcements!" He winked at his older brother. A moment later, he was there, joining the battle. "I will save you, Seal from the terrifying foe!" Crab declared. The three males became a mess of tangled wings and twisted tails. Until, eventually, Reflection stood as tall as he could on top of Seal's chest, rising and falling with his father's breathing. "Suwender!" Ref demanded. Seal grinned, filled with amusement. "OK, I surrender to the mighty Ref. Now, go finish your job, you rascal." He slowly got up, with tiny Reflection bouncing off of him. Seal rubbed Ref's head affectionately. The dragonet giggled, then bounded away, calling back, "OK Daddy!" Seal shook his head, then his whole body, to get the sand off of his green scales. "You know," he said, returning his attention to his brother, "you can visit whenever you like. We appreciate company. And the dragonets love you." Crab smiled, casting a glance out to sea. "Yeah, I know, I enjoy visiting too. Hey, that feeling's mutual; I love the kids. They're absolutely hilarious and adorable." The two talked away the next minutes, including times where Crab would tell some insane stories to Ref (despite Seal’s better judgement). All was as Seal had hoped it would be, ever since he was little. And at that moment, when Seal turned around to lightly wack his brother’s tail with his own, he suddenly stopped when something caught his sight. He behold before him, in the pink-orange light of the setting sun, the two most important female dragons in his life. The older one stood with a protective wing over her sweet daughter. The dying rays of light illuminated both of them, gleaming off their scales and bringing new color to the vibrant flowers atop their heads. The most striking feature, however, was the look on the mother’s face; it bore a smile that could not have been reflected by the heavens, for it was so filled with love that even the coldest of hearts would have thawed completely. And Seal discovered himself incapable of moving or averting his gaze, as that smile was pinned directly on him. It was Crab who snapped Seal out of his petrification. “Oh good, you’re here! Let’s get this thing going!” . . . As they stood on the beach, facing each other with immortal love in their eyes, Crab recited the marriage criteria (although Seal might have heard him forget and make up a few lines). Seal himself could hardly pay attention to the words pledging lifelong dedication from his brother. All he found he was capable of doing was looking into his soulmate's heart. The two of them were all that existed, and he knew she felt the same. Their little four-month-old dragonets gazed at them round-eyed, from Seal's peripheral vision. He had no idea what they were thinking; he couldn't recall being that age himself. All Seal knew was that they, along with Misty, were the best things that ever happened to him. The ex-prince never would have imagined that he'd be a proud father at twelve years. A very proud father. For the couple, their "I do"s were blurred to each other from being the other's distraction. Both of them were smiling uncontrollably. Crab continued, "I now pronounce you dragon and wife. You may kiss the bride." Seal and Misty obligingly leaned in (Seal had to lower his neck, for she was a head shorter), softly locking their jaws together. His heart shot out of his body entirely, and he poured his soul into the kiss passionately. Crab clapped and whistled enthusiastically. "EEEEEEWWWWWW," cried Reflection, and even romantic Selkie, in unified squeaky voices. The couple broke the kiss, and Seal opened his eyes to find his tiny dragonets shielding their vision with their wings. He shared a look with Misty, then both of them promptly burst into helpless laughter. Crab contributed in the merriment especially loudly. Misty managed to cackle the longest. Selkie had given up hiding her sight and now appeared confused why the older dragons were laughing. Ref still held his wing up in front of him, peeking one eye out from the side. "Is it safe?" The little boy asked cautiously. That earned him a few more laughs from the adults. Misty walked over to Reflection and covered him with her wing. "Yes, silly boy, it's 'safe'," she assured him mirthfully. Reflection lowered his wing and stared at his parents in a disgusted fashion. Seal tried to contain his chuckling. Ref looked up at his mother with a scrunched-up snout. "You're gwoss," he stated bluntly. Misty nudged him with her wing playfully, smiling down at him. "Well, we ''could ''do it again. . . ." she teased. Ref's foggy blue eyes widened in horror. "N—''ow!" He was cut off by a conch shell hitting the back of his head. The aqua dragonet whipped around to see who his attacker was. Selkie was rolling on the sand laughing. She grasped two different shells firmly in her talons. She got up and declared: "Seashell fight!" "It's on!" Reflection yelled at her, picking up a shell and throwing it at his sister. He was a bad shot, though, and missed her tragically. Seal grinned. I guess he inherited his mother's arm, ''he thought but didn't dare say. "I'm in!" Misty said, grabbing a few shells herself and joining the battle. She gently tossed one at Selkie, who quickly jumped out of the way. Selkie stuck out her tongue teasingly. Seal laughed, glanced at his grinning brother, then picked up a single shell. He was a little far back from the rest of the fighters, but he had sufficient aim. All he had to do was choose a target. The decision was easy enough. Seal chucked the shell at Misty, who, with her back turned, fell victim to it in her neck. She jumped, startled, and glared over her shoulder at her husband. He chuckled to himself, smiling innocently at her. But when he leaned over to pick up another one, an oyster shell smacked him in the wing. Seal looked up to find Misty giggling her head off. "Oh no you didn't," Seal threatened, throwing a sand dollar at her. She dodged it this time, but got hit from behind by Reflection, which momentarily distracted her. Seal took his chance and lobbed another shell at his wife. It hit her on her shoulder, and she turned around with an indignant lash of her tail. "You're asking for it," she warned. The two went back and forth, throwing and dodging, until Seal got close enough and wrapped his wing around her tightly, stopping her from grabbing more shells. He pulled her in against his side, leading them to the line where the water met the sand. Selkie, Reflection, and Crab continued to battle with seashells behind them, for the time being not noticing the couple's absence. They sat down together, Seal still having a wing around her. The gentle waves softly reached their talons, then retreated back into the ocean, a process by which was repeated every ten seconds. The fresh, salty air blew in Seal's face calmingly. He nudged the top of Misty's head with his snout affectionately, and in response she rubbed her snout against his neck. Her warm breath felt comforting on his scales. "This feels familiar," Seal said quietly, stroking her wing with his talon lightly. Misty gazed up at him. "What does?" "This." He gestured to them, then out towards to sea. "Us, here, waiting for the moons to rise while leaning on each other." He emphasized this by pressing one of his talons into her's. "You're forgetting the unfamiliar things," Misty observed, smiling over her shoulder at their playing family. Seal grinned and followed her gaze for a few seconds. "Like you said, they're unfamiliar. But they're--" "Amazing," Misty finished for him happily. She reached her arms out to wrap around him in a hug. "Thank you, Seal." Seal, who was shocked for a single moment, hugged back, asking, "Thank you for what?" With a content sigh, Misty answered, "For everything, you loveable kelp-brain. For everything." Seal then understood why she was thanking him. For everything he did. Transforming her, comforting her, waiting for her by the sea, offering her a new, non-human life. Giving her a chance at a new family. Their ''own ''family. "Have you noticed?" Misty asked Seal quietly in his ear. "Noticed?" Misty nodded. "We always end up where we started. On the shoreline." He reluctantly released her from the hug, thinking out loud, "Yeah. Right here." He planted an affectionate kiss on her maw before continuing, "And we'll keep this love, always, on an ocean shore. Together." . . . ''I wonder if I should tell him, ''Misty thought as Seal kissed her. She quickly touched her stomach before he opened his eyes again. ''Nah, he's so peaceful right now. Let him keep the moment for a bit longer. Despite herself, Misty smiled grandly with amusement. After he let her go and studied her face, Seal's eyes abruptly widened with surprise. Too late. "I r-remember that smile." Misty's grin grew—against her will—in size and strength. "Oh really?" she asked. "And do you remember what comes after this smile?" "Um." Seal tried, gulping, "Breakfast? A swim?" She laughed, lightly putting her talons on his snout so he couldn't look away from her as she said, "Any other guesses?" He laid a talon over one of her's that she had on his face. He gave a small gasp. "Egg?" "The boy's a genius!" Misty declared sarcastically, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him before he could fully react. Though she could tell he was trying to object at first, being totally shocked, he surrendered after three seconds. When she released him from the kiss, the two opened their eyes to discover their family had stopped throwing seashells. Crab, Reflection, and Selkie had silently been watching them from behind; for how long, Misty didn't know. Both of their faces warmed up at the noticing. Ref was evidently trying not to gag. Just before Misty or Seal could ask how many minutes they were sitting there, Selkie jumped up and down, saying excitedly, "Mommy Mommy! Am I gonna getta sistah?! Am I am I? Pwetty pwease?!" . . . That night, instead of another bloodcurtling nightmare, Seal dreamt of a place, a special place, one he remembered from dear and vital memories. A place where an old life had ended, and a new life had begun. Two new lives. As the two-legged creature shifted and morphed into a more familiar being, a strong sense of ''this is wrong ''overcame him. This was a terrible idea. What was he thinking? So many possibilities where this could go awry--'' ''And then, the now-dragon completed the transformation, with her back to his face, studying her talons. Before he could prepare himself, she turned around. He choked on his breath nervously, having expected the spell to have gone wrong and her ending up bearing a scavenger face. What he saw frightened him even more so. She looked ''normal. ''Well, not entirely, her snout was a bit long and her coloring was odd indeed. But, excluding those things, she appeared like any SeaWing. Not some freak or mutant. Or freaky mutant. He found himself staring at her awestruck, and was hot-faced and awfully embarrassed, until he realized she was doing the exact same thing. That was another factor: her expression. It did not somehow seem fully dragon. Yet, he already felt close to her, despite the fact that he'd only known her as a pet until now. Was ''close ''really the correct word for it? He could not comprehend what this emotion was that was beginning to bloom within him. It was entirely alien and strange; he could not pin it down. A new type of fear? Dread? Anxiety? Extreme regret? Loss of soul? In some completely psychotic way, he was hit with the distinct feeling that, tangled deep within the fabric of the universe, a piece of the unsolved puzzle of life clicked into place, right at that moment. Before he could manage to stammer a mumbled greeting, she inquired fearfully, in a panting voice, "What is your name, and where is my heart?" '' '''The End' Thanks I'd like to thank my inactive friend, Featherflight, for Selkie's name. It totally made her even cuter <3 And a thanks to all the people who read the LoaOS stories. Y'all rock! With love and Ketchup, Misters. Category:Content (MistydaAwesomeSeaWing) Category:Fanfictions Category:Fanfictions (Semi-Canon) Category:Genre (Romance) Category:Fanfictions (Completed)